Poverty in Arizona on the rise

Phoenix, AZ – The percentage of state residents in poverty rose last year. Butnot everywhere.

New figures today from the Census Bureau show 14.2 percent ofArizonans were living below the federal poverty level in 2007. By2008 that figure had risen to 14.7 percent. That half point jumpcompares with an increase of just two tenths of a percentnationally.

But the trends are not uniform. The percentage ofChandler residents living in poverty went from 5.3 percent in2007 to 8.6 percent last year. There was a much smaller increase,just three tenths of a point, in Coconino County. But Gilbert andTempe posted year-over-year decreases.

A related set of figurestoday looks at the issue a different way, measuring the number ofpeople who receive food stamps. Generally speaking, that figureis lower than the poverty level, possibly because applicants mustprove they are in this country legally.

By contrast, the povertyfigures measure everyone regardless of legal status. Using thisyardstick, Coconino County saw an even sharper increase in foodstamp recipients than the statewide average, from 5.7 percent in2007 to 8.2 percent last year. Most other communities had smallerincreases, though the figures in Yuma show the number up from 9.7percent two years ago to 17 percent in 2008.